Author. Walker. Badass.

Grand Falls

You all heard how GPS Janice failed BFF and I when we went out to Grand Falls with her parental units, but let me tell you about the trip home. After wandering around on the wrong side of the falls, we decided to make the trek home providing Janice could tell us how to get there. It was on the way home that I discovered that I am not really a good passenger to have in a car.

Usually when BFF and I go places, I drive us. Nothing against BFF and her driving…she just hates to drive. Hence why I am usually the driver. This time though her Dad was driving so BFF and I were in the backseat which meant I had nothing to keep me occupied. On the way out to the Falls, we were occupied by the fact that we were certain Janice had gotten us lost but I didn’t have that luxury on the way home. I turned to talk to BFF and noticed she had fallen asleep (I mean she had worked the night before). Well now what was I supposed to do? There was no internet reception and no scenery to look at since we were in the middle of the desert of the reservation. Hmmmm….BFF was no help. What was I to do? Why take selfies with the sleeping BFF of course! No really. Yup. It totally happened and it was glorious. See for yourself:

I mean what else are you supposed to do when BFF sleeps?Can you see all the red dirt on the back window?I had way too much fun with her

Obviously, I am not a good passenger when I don’t have anything to keep me occupied. Don’t you want to ride next to me? BFF’s Momma actually saw me and started giggling because it was pretty funny that I was taking selfies. The other thing BFF was supposed to do besides keep me entertained? Navigate us out of there. Good thing I had put it in my phone as well before we lost signal so I was able to direct the parentals on the unmarked dirt roads. Some help BFF was on both accounts. Once we were back on the highway, I asked to stop at the one gas station to use the restroom as the sound of water at the Falls made me have to go. Here is where we had our second adventure of the day.

On our way to the Falls, we had noticed a flea market of sorts across from the gas station and BFF’s Momma had seen a sign that said “kneel down bread”. We had discussed what this could possibly be on our way out so when I cam out of the gas station, I asked BFF’s Momma if she wanted to go see what it was about. Now, I must mention that BFF’s Momma is not very adventurous so her agreeing to do so was a big deal for her but I think she was really very curious. We soon found the table with Kneel Down Bread and we got the last two. We then scampered back to our car anxious to try this new thing we had discovered on our adventure.

BFF’s Momma handed me one for us to try. It was wrapped up in a corn husk which I found interesting as I attempted to open it. It looked and felt like the outside of a tamale when I finally got it open. I gave a chunk to BFF and broke off a chunk for myself. It didn’t look like bread. It didn’t smell like bread. We were a little confused. But we decided to try it anyways. The minute BFF put it in her mouth, I knew she did not like it. I could tell by the look on her face that the texture was not something she liked. At all. The look on her face was mixed with horror and fear. I almost started laughing as I watched her choke it down. I could tell she wanted to spit it out but there was nothing to spit it out into. So she instead swallowed and said “Well, that was texturally displeasing.” I about died. BFF really has a problem with textures. She once told me that gummy things feel human in her mouth although I do not think I want to know how she knows what human feels like in her mouth. Well…she does bite people a lot. Maybe that is it. All that biting is good practice if she were to ever become a zombie, just saying. Then she would really know what human tastes like. Ew.

After seeing BFF’s reaction, I was a little hesitant but I do not have texture issues like her. So I took a bite. It tasted like masa (the outside of a tamale) to me but not as finely ground. I could taste the chunks of blue corn in it but I could see how she found it texturally displeasing to her. It really did taste like corn to me. I later found out that Kneel Down Bread is also called Navajo Tamales so that makes perfect sense. I didn’t mind it but I could tell BFF was trying to wash the taste out of her mouth with a bottle of water. It was pretty funny. And soon after that, she was sound asleep again. There might have been snoring. And drool. All in all it was a great family adventure. Matty would have been proud. #LiveGrandMR

I wish I had a picture of her face after she actually put it in her mouth…needless to say she won’t be eating Kneel Down Bread again.

Oh yeah. I didn’t die today. I did, however, discover that I am not a good passenger in a car ride and that BFF does not like things that taste human in her mouth but I didn’t die. I am Fat Girl who takes selfies with BFF while she is sleeping Running. The experiment continues…

Have you ever gone on an adventure? BFF and her parentals and I recently went on one and it was quite the experience. We had every intention of going out to a local attraction and somehow ended up an hour out of our way on a dirt road in the middle of the Navajo reservation all thanks to Google Maps. What we did discover, however, is that the four of us can make a good time out of even getting lost.

It all started out with BFF’s Momma wanting to go see Grand Falls, a natural waterfall system located out on the Navajo reservation. It only flows with snow melt and is actually higher than Niagara Falls. Since none of us had ever been out there and we heard it was flowing rather heavily, we decided to take the trip and go see it. Instead of asking for directions or looking it up, BFF put it into Google Maps and we headed out early in the morning. I mean, Google Maps has never steered us wrong before. Back before there was GPS, we did get lost trying to get to Disneyland and ended up in Compton. Luckily, Bubby was able to decipher the tiny map I had printed off the computer and get us to where we wanted to be. GPS always re-routes you if you turn wrong so I felt pretty confident about using it to get out to Grand Falls. I was so wrong.

Now Grand Falls is only 30 miles outside of town so it shouldn’t have taken us too long to get there. We followed Janice (that is what we call the voice on Google Maps) and ended up on a dirt road, which wasn’t too surprising. Since it was a weekend and the falls were so full, I thought we would see a lot more people driving on the same dirt road as us. Nope. Totally alone. On a dirt road. In the middle of no where with no signs. An hour and a half later, we were still on various unmarked dirt roads and hoping that somehow, they led to the falls. I kept thinking that what if we broke down or what if an axe murderer came out of the landscape to kill us all. Seriously, the reservation is pretty desolate. Janice kept directing us on all these unmarked dirt roads and I was thoroughly convinced that we were going to end up stranded with only 2 mini bottles of water and a couple of breakfast bars between us. We might have to resort to cannibalism to survive. Who would we eat first? This is a serious question to ask yourself when traveling with a group of people. Do you not think of this? No? Just me then? Ok…well I did wonder which one of the four of us we would eat first if we were stranded and needed to survive. Totally normal way of thinking when you are lost on the reservation if you ask me. Don’t judge.

Eventually, the road turned and we could see the canyon and the falls so we pulled up and got out. Upon doing that and looking around, I realized something. We were on the wrong side of the falls. The official lookout and parking was on the other side. How the heck we ended up on that side was beyond me. None of us could figure out how we ended up on the that side. Where did we make the wrong turn? We followed GPS. We listened to Janice. She let us down. We risked our lives and almost ate one another to get here and we are on the wrong side? Sigh. Well at least we had a good laugh, a great time and ended up with epic pictures. No, really, they are quite epic and not because of the falls. Because of BFF’s bang. Her bang could not compete with the winds around the falls and I couldn’t see because of the sun, so I had no idea what was happening until we looked t the pictures later. Epic I tell you. See for yourself.

Grand Falls. Can you see the real lookout over there? Yeah…we aren’t there.The wind was really strong….It just keeps getting better….the bangThe family that adventures together. I just can’t even with that bang. It’s too good.

Upon leaving, we ran into others who Janice had led astray and ended up on the wrong side. Stupid GPS. Turns out that we went about an hour out of our way and we still have no idea how to get to the right side of the falls. Or how we got out of there without eating one another. GPS fail.

Oh yeah. I didn’t die today. I did, however, consider which one of us I would eat first if we got stranded on the reservation but I didn’t die. I am Fat Girl with epic pictures of BFF’s bang on a reservation adventure Running. The experiment continues…